The summer holidays are a wonderful time to dive into books both for enjoyment and to broaden knowledge and understanding of key issues. With the issue of diversity and the differing experiences of communities both within the UK and across the globe in mind, the English department has initiated a reading list which helps to explore this and related topics. The list is by no means exhaustive but hopefully a good starting point to help young people explore this key area and build greater understanding.
Younger readers:
Face by Benjamin Zephaniah
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Older Readers:
The State of Africa by Martin Meredith
Vermeer’s Hat by Timothy Brook
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Twelve Years A Slave by Solomun Northup
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Small Island by Andrea Levy
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Poetry by Langston Hughes
Poetry by Daljit Nagra (‘Look We Have Coming to Dover’ Collection)
Poetry by Shivanee Ramlochan (Everyone Knows I Am a Haunting’ Collection)
Poetry by Danez Smith (Don’t Call us Dead’ Collection)
‘Have You Heard George’s Podcast?’ George the Poet (podcast)
